Remembering David Williams
1944-2025
by Ligia Montano
Senior and Disability Action mourns the loss of David Williams, not as a member who contributed so much to building our grassroots power, but also because David symbolizes a true activist who informed himself, educated himself, and practiced true solidarity with his fellow citizens and the citizens of the world. Personally, I had many conversations about Latin America with David. I always felt very grateful to David for understanding the historical and sociopolitical context of Latin America struggle and how it was intrinsically linked to the political will of the United States. He understood how waves of violence provoked and paid for by the North American government always result in waves of migrants trying to reach the north. David was a multifaceted person who fought for workers' rights through his union, fought for the rights of older adults and people with disabilities from his position at the California Alliance for Retired Americans, and worked as a Peer Advocate at Senior and Disability Action.
Ali Chiu, former Community Resource Program Manager at SDA remembers David, “As a long time advocate of human and animal rights. David was one of the kindest people who came into my life as a SDA Peer Advocate. As soon as we talked, I realized he worked with a close friend of mine years ago in a group home for youth. David had a wealth of knowledge of how the ‘system’ works and even though he always let others speak first, he was not shy about sharing words of support and constructive tools. He was open, reflective of his privilege as a white man serving the community, and always, always asked important questions. It humbled me working with him so closely. David was not only kind but in touch with the people we serve on so many levels. I remember the first time I met his wife at one of the SDA general meetings. David said, “Alice, meet my boss at home and Alice meet my boss at work”. David and I talked about everything under the sun. We both are vegetarians, love dogs and believe in Bernie Sanders. And, I share his wife's name and also love poetry. Rest in peace David. Your generous spirit and kindness live on. I hold you and Alice in the deepest part of my heart.”
Peter Estes, another former Community Resource Program Manager at SDA, shares these thoughts about our compañero David: “I first came to know David in his role as a Peer Advocate (PA). When I first started, he was welcoming, but he was definitely testing me, trying to see whether I would stick around and if I knew what I was doing. He had high standards, and he was going to hold you to them. David would shoot the shit with you about the Giants and the Warriors, crack a few jokes, sure, but he would never mince words – he always got to the point when it mattered. I quickly came to see how sharp and committed to our movements he was, tackling leadership roles in multiple campaigns with SDA and SEIU, while still logging weekly Peer Advocate shifts. He also had a laser focus on what really mattered, with strong boundaries between his professional and volunteer work and his personal time.”
Peter continues, “As a PA, he was a consummate advocate and a model for all those who came after him, always seeking out new resources, keeping copious notes, giving clear and honest advice, and following up intently to make sure anyone he worked with got in the door at the right places. Bridging the individual and the collective struggle effortlessly, David also helped connect the PA work with our broader campaigns in every conversation he had. Week in and week out, he was the definition of dependendable. Before the pandemic, David had told me he was ready to leave the PA role to focus on being a member — but when the world turned upside down, he waited to see that the ship was righted and helped to train our growing team before moving on. In the way he carried himself, in his commitment to solidarity, in his jokes, David taught me so much. I'll miss him greatly.”
The truth is that anything I can say about David Williams won't do him justice, but I can share that at Senior and Disability Action, David has left a profound mark of solidarity and struggle that honors us all. Rest in power, brother David.